Antonio Barceló

For the Puerto Rican politician, see Antonio Rafael Barceló.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Barceló and the second or maternal family name is Pont de la Terra.

Portrait of Antonio Barceló.

Antonio Barceló y Pont de la Terra (1 January 1717, in Palma, Majorca – 30 January 1797, in idem) (in Catalan Antoni Barceló i Pont de la Terra) was a Spanish mariner and privateer, lieutenant general (equivalent to Admiral) of the Spanish Royal Armada.

Of humble origins, Barceló unusually rose to officer of the Spanish Armada on military merits. He was leading figure against Barbary piracy and slave trade in the Mediterranean, adopting their tactics to counter them and serving himself as a pirate hunter for much of his career. He later worked extensively on the usage of naval artillery and gunboats.

Biography

He began as privateer at the service of the Spanish Empire and thanks to his merits, he became lieutenant general of the Spanish Royal Armada and fought against Algerians pirates.

He is famous for his anti-Algerian privateer campaigns, bombardments of Algiers (Bombardment of Algiers in August 1783 and 2nd Bombardment of Algiers in July 1784) and use of gunboats during the Great Siege of Gibraltar.

Antonio is also credited of putting sailors and ships under the patronage of the Virgin of Carmel and shifting away from the patronage of St. Elmo. Today, on the feast day of the Viring of Carmel, blessing of boats still takes place in many Spanish towns.

See also

• Great Siege of Gibraltar
• Gunboat

References

• Rodríguez González, Agustín (2016). Antonio Barceló. EDAF. ISBN 978-8441437135.
• San Juan, Víctor (2019). Breve historia de las batallas navales de las fragatas. Nowtilus. ISBN 978-8413050768.
• Guimerá Ravina, Agustín (2008). Guerra naval en la Revolución y el Imperio: Bloqueos y operaciones anfibias, 1793-1815. Marcial Pons Historia. ISBN 978-8496467804.

External links

• College of the Theatine Fathers, the house where the Captain was born